More than 100,000 workers in 325 Japan-linked firms in Thailand have been affected by the three-pronged disaster in Japan, Labour Protection and Welfare Department director-general Amporn Nitisiri said on Tuesday.

Mrs Amporn said there are 767 companies in Thailand with major Japanese shareholders. These firms employ about 471,500 workers.

Of these, 325 have been affected by the disasters in Japan. They employ altogether 108,808 workers. Most of these firms produce and distribute automobile parts, electronic parts and food products.

These companies have begun cut backs, ranging from reducing overtime working hours, reducing productivity, and reducing working days. Some employers had opted to invoke Section 75 of the labour law by asking employees to stop working and receive only 75 per cent of their regular salary, said Mrs Amporn.

Mrs Amporn said that some food and farm produce processors in Chiang Mai and auto parts manufacturers in Chon Buri have actually benefited from the Japanese disasters as their parent companies in Japan had to halt their operations and ordered their subsidiaries in Thailand to increase productivity to compensate